Our Team
Nicola Sainsbery
Office Manager
That breath of fresh air when you walk into the office? The reason it seems that bit brighter and cheerier than outside? That’ll be Nicola. She is our front-of-house beacon and responsible for presenting a pleasant, functional workplace for clients and staff. We had to veto the St. Kilda posters with lipstick marks.
You’re welcome.
Planner Assistants
Dulani Goonewardena
Harry Rimmer
Wendy List
Known as the Dream Team, these are our admin superstars, the front line of our back office if you get the drift. They’ll solve your problems before you knew you had them. They are also responsible for keeping the advisers on track, busy and fully occupied providing advice – without resorting to violence.
Lewina Henderson
Administration and Systems Manager
Lewina heads up the Dream Team and is also responsible for the infrastructure and systems that enable our services. Around the globe thousands of AI systems programmers are knocking themselves out trying to match Lewina for admin speed and efficiency.
Rob Jaskiewicz
Financial Planner
Rob’s financial planning career began in 1998. Prior to that he spent twenty years at Centrelink, ten of them in the Financial Information Service, and survived with a sense of humour. Of sorts.
A devoted family man, his other interests include reciting the entire back catalogue of “Get Smart” episodes verbatim.
Duncan Essery
Financial Planner
Duncan is a Certified Practising Accountant, but we employed him anyway. Over 20 years specialising in financial planning and he’s almost human again.
Plus as a lifelong Demons supporter, he’s proven his resilience in the face of extreme adversity and utter hopelessness.
Stephanie King
Financial Planner
If empathy and care for people were the ingredients for rocket fuel, Steph could launch the Space Shuttle. She can even tolerate working with Rob and Duncan. Maybe her years in the theatre help her just grin and bear it.
Elly Rimmer
Practice Manager
Elly is the manager of the Planning and Service team, and a devoted chocolate enthusiast. She’s a stickler for correct spelling and gramma, and loathe’s an errant apostrophe.
She is living proof that bright personality and stunning good looks are hereditary.
Centrelink Liaison specialists
Despina Palios
Glenn Smith-Cameron
Roger Deayton
Desi, Glenn and Roger are our Centrelink Liaison specialists, maintaining clients’ records on Centrelink’s web portal and troubleshooting issues clients may be having with the department.
There are only four qualities needed for this job: perseverance, persistence, patience and perseverance.
Debbie Comben
General Manager - Business Operations
In a career spanning ‘over 30 years’ Debbie has performed every role in financial services except actually printing the money. (See ‘Hobbies’ section).
She ensures we have a functional and efficient workplace and operating platform by managing the relationships with our service providers.
The quintessential Jill-of-all-trades and go-to girl, Debbie intricately combines the necessary technical expertise with the ancient art of hand-to-hand combat. Few would argue.
Alan Rimmer
Managing Director
Alan has had a lengthy career in financial planning and management roles with the COUNT group, Wilson Dilworth and Perpetual. He founded ARA in 2002 to provide personal financial services free of the shackles of corporate ownership.
These days he still hangs around the office a bit, asking where the fax machine is and who moved his telephone?